Certain food and beverage products are desirably stored and dispensed to a customer at a temperature lower than the ambient temperature; for example chocolate or soft drinks. Typically such products are stored in a refrigerated cabinet until a product is required by a consumer. Known cabinets for cooling, storing and dispensing such products are provided with a refrigerator unit powered by mains electricity to cool the products within the cabinet.
Certain refrigerated cabinets are provided with a coin-operated dispensing mechanism which when actuated dispenses a product to the exterior of the cabinet.
Refrigerated cabinets as described above are expensive, and are commonly large and heavy and therefore not easily transportable. Also such refrigerated cabinets may not be suitable for use at locations where mains electricity is not readily available. Maintenance and repair of such refrigerated cabinets often requires skilled engineers and the disposal of worn-out refrigerator units must be carefully controlled in order to prevent the release of environmentally harmful refrigerant gases.